


moment's silence

by Profundus



Series: solstice [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Family Cuddles, Fluff, Kitsune, Light Angst, Loving boyfriend Osamu, M/M, Pregnant Sex, Smut, mentioned miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:33:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29181072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Profundus/pseuds/Profundus
Summary: Of course Suna's pregnancy is going well. He's probably the luckiest vixen of the entire pack, with his doting, loving mate always by his side. How could anything happen to him when Osamu is there? He always protects him and their unborn kits.As best as he can, at least.
Relationships: Miya Osamu/Suna Rintarou
Series: solstice [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142240
Comments: 14
Kudos: 107





	moment's silence

Suna was curled up within the comfort of their nest, purring low in his throat to soothe the little kicks and movements of his kits. Even in the dim twilight that seeped in from both sides of the fur that covered the entrance, he could see that the sun had not yet risen above the pack grounds, and there was really no reason why Osamu should be out of the nest already.

Yet he was.

Which bothered Suna greatly, and even more so their kits. The sole absence of their father was more than enough reason to rouse them from a deep night's slumber – one of the rare ones they'd graced their mother with lately. All the purring in the world could not calm their disapproval over Osamu being gone. Suna groaned softly and rolled over onto his side, rubbing the smooth, warm skin of his belly with one hand.

"Papa will be home soon," he hummed, hoping the familiar sound of his voice would calm the kits until his mate was back from whatever task he deemed important enough to leave the den at God knows what hour of the early morning. "Papa will be back right away and we can all go back to sleep. Stay calm now, Papa will be back in no time at all. I hope. For him."

"For whom?"

The fur rustled slightly and in he slipped like a shadow in the night, sleek tail leaving a trail of silver behind him in the dim lighting, and his eyes reflected what little glow there came from outside their den. Suna scowled up at his mate, but then Osamu was already beside and around him, head tucked into the crook of his vixen's shoulder and he had barely set whatever he had been carrying aside when his hands already swept over Suna's belly as well, joining the slender fingers already splayed out there.

"Sorry, I know I left early. Wanted to get ya some water from the river before ya woke up so I wouldn’t have to leave while yer only wakin' up."

Terribly sweet of him, and a reason for Suna to set aside his pouting and stop being upset over his mate's brief absence, but he still sulked a while longer while the kits finally settled, content now that their father was back and his warm, protective presence allowed their mother to rest easy. Osamu's gaze was warily directed at the entrance to their nest still, but when Suna tucked his head under his chin, he smiled a bit and leaned down to kiss him.

"Did they wake ya up?" he asked and the pressure of his palm against the almost unnoticeable curve of Suna's belly felt so good that the vixen crooned helplessly.

"Mmm. Your fault. You have to stop leaving in the middle of the night. I hate it when I'm barely awake and alone. If anything happened, I wouldn't even be able to defend myself. Samuuu, stop touching!" With a high-pitched little whine, he tried to shrug the silver fox off, but Osamu was hanging heavily onto his shoulder, and there was a lazy smirk distorting his lips.

"Yer getting' so sensitive, hm? All just because of my kits. Sorry for leavin' ya, babe, I won't do it again."

"I'll go sleep in Kita’s nest again," Suna threatened, writhing in his mate's grip when Osamu only continued to rub his hips and abdomen, causing the muscles there to twitch indignantly at the sudden pleasure.

Soft breath ghosted over his nape and the silver fox dragged sharp teeth across his skin with only a hint of the pain they could cause. The sensation sent thrills of excitement down Suna's spine. Osamu was, in contrast to whatever anyone might believe who had seen him interact with his twin, the most gentle person Suna had ever met. Even when they'd had a fight, even when he was mad, he’d never even accidentally hurt his mate. Of course Suna was always littered with marks - outlines of bites and scratches, but those were all infused with lust and possessiveness, and he couldn't remember a single instance he'd felt pain while getting them. Osamu was passionate and he was wild, but when the moon above the dens was waning and the beams of silver light were growing far and few at night, he showed a sensual side of him nobody but Suna had probably ever seen.

"As if ya would actually do that," Osamu said with a rumbling little laugh.

Hate it as much as he wanted – Suna had to admit he was right. The kits were acting up all day already when Osamu went about his daily business of hunting and helping around the dens, only calming when he came back to them in the early evening hours or during the brief returns to Suna's nest. No way he'd ever stand a night without his mate.

"I hate you!" he moaned and tried to shake the silver fox off, but Osamu was already pressing him down into the nest and the dark expanse of his bare chest, painted with intricate patterns, was shielding away what little moonlight kept finding its way past the fur into their den.

"Ya don't."

"Stop putting words in my mouth," Suna muttered, breathless. Soft, cool lips were hovering just over his own, and a silver tail brushed against his naked legs.

"Stop lying then," Osamu whispered and devoured him hungrily, not a second spared for breathing as his fingers and tongue set fire to the slender body of the vixen beneath him.

Such few weeks had passed since the summer solstice, but they had spent night upon night getting to know each other's body like they'd never touched before, and Osamu knew by heart now which places he only needed to graze with his fingertips and Suna would be screaming his name until the sun rose over the mountain tops and painted the clearing with brilliant golden dots on the ground between patches of grass.

Kita had just glared at Osamu for a few days, and there had been a brief dispute between them shortly after the solstice night, but then Suna had started to follow his mate's every step around the pack grounds, clinging to him at every given or not given opportunity, and when his hips had started to round slightly where they'd been sharp-angled before, Kita had given a resigned sigh and brought him tea from raspberry leaves to soothe his nausea.

Now, when Suna was crying himself hoarse while Osamu drank up his shouts and sobs and needy whines, nobody took their time to comment on or even mention it. Mated pairs sometimes just couldn't help themselves; it was normal – and besides, who were they to judge? Almost every couple in the pack had found themselves being too loud at night at some point.

Some were going a bit more overboard than others, but there really were no exceptions, to Suna's knowledge, so he didn't feel bad for the drawn-out moan that slipped from him when slender, calloused fingers slowly massaged the tender insides of his thighs, coaxing him into parting them for his mate.

"Pretty," Osamu mumbled, almost like talking to himself. His voice was awestruck, like he was only now really taking in the sight before him, like he hadn't really paid attention before. He ran his fingers through the black fur on Suna's tail. "Yer gorgeous, Rin."

He was one to talk, with his eyes framed in dark paint, the grey-blue of them being rapidly swallowed by blackness, the beautiful feathers woven into his silver braid, the pointy ears that curved forward to not miss a single sound of pleasure from his mate, the bushy silver tail that was twitching gracefully, the pale scars that crossed his skin here and there – the biggest one drawn right across his chest from shoulder to hip: courtesy of the lynx he'd hunted for Suna's mating token.

Panting, the vixen ran his hand along the frighteningly long line that stood out bright against Osamu's tanned skin.

"I still hate you," he whimpered softly, leaning up to catch his mate's lips.

"Love ya too, babe."

Finally, Suna allowed his legs to open, granting Osamu just enough space to move up closer to him. His own tail was already itching, aching at the base, but with how it was caught up beneath Suna, there was no way he'd be able to move it. The fingers that had been lightly stroking along ivory skin before now wandered higher, pressure increasing as the silver fox slipped them between the warm, slick folds of Suna's body.

The vixen's back arched into the touch, chasing after the pleasure of those sinfully talented hands on his skin with a low groan, and his ears flicked back at the overwhelming sensation.

"Samu!"

"Hmm?" his boyfriend hummed softly against his collarbone, nipping at it. "God, so damn wet for me already. Ya were waitin' for real, weren't you?"

Suna shifted, his hips trembled violently at the delicious pleasure of Osamu's finger pushing into him, stretching him open, rubbing against all his sweet spots, making his chest tight from the lack of air when all he could do was cry out for his mate over and over again. His lungs ached, they burned and stung and he really only wanted to breathe, but Osamu's kisses wouldn't ease up on him, and neither would the slow, gentle thrusts, the rough fingertips stroking his sensitive inner walls.

Trembling, the young vixen rolled onto his side, sobbing into their nest as a familiar, warm body slotted against his back and he felt Osamu's cock against his hole, increasing the slow, almost lazy burn of desire just beneath his skin. His ears flattened back, and his tail moved out of the way on its own, urging Osamu to just breed him already.

"Of course I was!" he whined into the soft fur rubbing against his cheek. "I'm always just waiting for you!"

The silver fox groaned as he pushed his cock into Suna, still lightly gripping onto the vixen's thigh to keep his legs spread. Glistening slick was dripping into the nest. The intoxicating scent of it had long since gotten to Osamu, curling hot and heavy on his tongue and in his throat, pooling all the way down into his abdomen.

Suna was the most perfect vixen he'd ever seen, especially now that his entire body was starting to show evidence of their mating.

"Promise, I'll always come back to ya," Osamu whispered as he rocked his hips forward and sank his teeth back into the first mark he'd left on his mate, causing Suna to cry out with pleasure. "I won't ever leave and don't come back, I swear, babe."

With the scalding touches and the thrusts that seemed to reach into his deepest core, the young vixen could do nothing but surrender completely, nearly in tears with pleasure. If having Osamu's kits felt only half as good as getting fucked full of them, he was in for a ride. Two years ago, he'd helped out during the birth of Tooru's and Hajime's litter, and in contrast to Kita, who had also been there to assist, Suna had definitely not had the slightest idea of what was going to happen.

Remembering Tooru's breathless keens of pure delight now, he couldn't wait to have their kits.

Hajime had been so soft on his mate, putting aside all of his usual bickering and teasing and playful jabs, just purring to calm Tooru down, tightening his embrace when the vixen nearly collapsed with tears of pleasure in his eyes, continuously whispering to him about how good he was being.

He wondered if Osamu would be the same. If Osamu would keep him in his arms too, would stroke his hair and ears back and gently talk him through the birth of their kits, would kiss him just as lovingly and make him feel just as safe. Of course Tooru and Hajime had been together long before Tooru had first gotten pregnant, but Suna and Osamu were childhood friends too.

"Fuck, Rin! What's gettin' ya so tight?" the silver fox groaned while thrusting even deeper into him. "I swear, if ya keep clenchin' down on me like that, I won't be lastin' long."

As if Suna was any different.

His insides were tightening around Osamu's cock, and still, slick kept seeping down his legs. He trembled uncontrollably from within at every thrust. Bursts of pleasure were hitting up his spine in rapid succession, blinding him gradually until he felt like he had never existed outside this world of absolute darkness. Still, with Osamu holding onto him so tightly, even the vast expanse of that endless cosmos was bearable.

"Love ya, Rin, I love ya so much," Osamu gasped desperately and buried his face in Suna's dark hair when the young vixen stiffened up even more the moment his climax hit, barely conscious as the silver fox came deep inside him with a low groan, pumping him full of his come again.

A hot, wet heat was still slowly trickling down Suna's legs, staining the dark, glossy fur on the underside of his tail by the time he somehow regained sense of his surroundings, feeling nothing but raw and satisfied. Osamu was no longer inside him, but pressed up tightly against his back, like every inch of space between them, separating them, was an inch too much.

"Think we upset the kits?" Osamu asked.

Suna only yawned in response. The little kicks he usually felt all the time had quieted down, and he settled one hand on the slight swell of his abdomen. "I think they're quite happy with how it is right now," he mumbled. "Very still, all of them."

A dark chuckle swept across his sweat-slicked skin from behind. "Good, I guess. Tell me if ya need anything, 'kay? I'll be awake. Ya can go back to sleep now."

Slender fingers wrapped around his wrist, and with darkening eyes, Suna pulled Osamu's hand up to his mouth, tongue darting out to clean away his own taste.

"It's gonna be like that? You leave at the crack of dawn, wake me and the kits up by being gone all of a sudden, come back and use me to your liking because I can't resist when I'm so happy to have you back, and then you don't even want to sleep in with me?"

For a moment, those dark eyes withstood his accusing glare, fascinated by his gentle licks and sucks to Osamu's fingers, but then the silver fox sighed in surrender and pulled his hand away to settle it on Suna's stomach instead.

"Fine. Sleepin' in it is, then."

Triumphant (like always), the vixen curled against him and wrapped his tail around Osamu with a purr that continued on, even when he'd long since fallen back into a deep, dreamless slumber, protected by a pair of watchful eyes that flashed over his head into the morning light.

* * *

"Ahh, I'm really jealous." Tooru scrunched up his nose and lifted one of his sons into his lap to braid his hair. "Getting knocked up on solstice night, you're super lucky, Rin-chan. That's so romantic, and your kits won't be born until late summer, when it's a bit cooler. I only have, like two more weeks before I have to give birth in this hell of a heatwave."

He rolled his eyes and lovingly bit at the tip of the little boy's ear when he fussed about wanting to go play with his siblings, who were yelling and laughing just a bit down by the edge of the clearing, apparently having just started a game of hide-and-seek.

"You're one to talk, you got the entire nausea thing behind you already," Suna grumbled as he sipped his tea and tried not to empty the contents of his stomach for the third time today.

"At least — Hifumi, stop wriggling around like that, Mama will be done in a second – Osamu-chan takes good care of you while you're sick. Iwa-chan disappears mysteriously every time I even mention feeling a little unwell in the morning. I get that he doesn't know how to help, but being there for me would really be enough, if I'm honest," the older vixen said and rolled his eyes. "Alright, finished. Off you go, and tell Tachi to leave your braids alone this time, I'm not going to do them again!"

Hifumi waddled off with a cheerful little _"Thank you, Mama!",_ and joined his brothers and sister. Tooru looked after him with a dreamy little sigh, chin resting in his hand. "He's adorable. Taking after Iwa-chan, all of them. Mostly. They got their good looks from me."

Well, no lie there, Suna thought. They had their mother's wavy hair and his pale complexion, just like they had his almond-shaped eyes. Only the colors they'd inherited from Hajime. Dark, almost black hair, sea-green eyes. The kits were gorgeous, Tooru was right. All of them with tiny black ears and tails, white-tipped, just like Hajime's. Suna tilted his head. Or was it brown? A very dark brown? He could never really tell; it always depended on how the light hit it.

"True. Samu is great."

Of course he was. Just a few days ago, while Suna had been taking a bath down by the river in the evening, relishing the cooling water that melted the summer heat from his skin, it had been Osamu who'd kept watch over him by the shore, vigilant and tense, and Suna would probably be dead if his mate hadn't spotted the small group of forest cats prowling their own side of the river with bows and knives – probably out to hunt the deer that wandered the woods at dusk, but certainly not opposed to getting rid of an unprotected vixen of the fox pack across the river either. Osamu had killed one of them with a clean shot right in the chest and the others had retreated, grumbling and hissing.

(Not that Suna would admit it, but he had cried for almost the entire night in his mate's strong arms, more than relieved that their kits were safe and sound thanks to Osamu.)

Tooru giggled, and before Suna could ask what was so funny, he felt a soft hand stroking his ears back. "Someone's badly in love, hm? Look at your eyes, they're practically glowing. Don't worry, don't worry, it's always like this. Having their kits makes us more than a little clingy. It'll ebb down after the birth."

The younger man trembled slightly at the touch. Usually, only Osamu touched his ears and tail, or occasionally one of the kits when he was playing with them, but they didn't know what kind of reaction grown-ups had to being stroked in places like that.

"Any tips for a novice before I go insane thinking about having my first litter?" he muttered.

Again, Tooru just laughed. "Yes, one: Don't think at all. Believe me, whatever you plan or whatever you think it might be like – nothing will be like you imagined it. Your body takes the lead, and you only have a single thing to do, and that's follow. I had contractions for almost a day before I gave birth, and I was planning all those things on how I wanted our first kits to be born, but once Hajime was with me and I was in my nest, it all turned upside down. I couldn't think anymore other than about how good it felt."

That wasn't very comforting at all. Suna only liked to give up control once he was fairly certain everything would be going well for him. He completely lacked the spontaneousness Tooru seemed to possess. Well, with an experienced mate like Hajime, no wonder he wasn't afraid to just let everything happen.

"I don't know if Samu has any idea what to do during the birth," he muttered and pulled his knees to his chest, cradling the small curve of his belly.

"Mm, well, it's his first time, too, after all, so be gentle with him. He's probably just going to try and help you," Tooru said. He plucked a blade of grass from the ground beside them. "Just don't let him try to take charge of the birth. He might not know what's best for you, your body and your kits. Don't be afraid to boss him around a bit, I promise he won't mind." He laughed, leaned back onto his palms. "Iwa-chan was so shaken, he didn't even notice that he was just obeying anything I said. If I'd asked him to go jump off the nearest cliff, he would probably have done it without thinking much."

They soaked up the sun a bit longer, curled up beside and around each other, until Aran returned to the pack grounds and crouched down next to Suna with a loving little purr.

"How are you doing, Rintarou?"

"Still a bit nauseous, but better."

Aran leaned over him to brush his ears and Suna moved up with a purr to chase after the pleasant, affectionate sensation. "Good. If you need anything, you can always come over to our den. Speaking of which, I have something for you. Want to come along or should I bring it to you?"

"He'll stay here. It's not good for him to move around that much."

Warm hands came to rest upon Suna's shoulders out of the blue, and Osamu crouched down behind him, frantically grooming the fur on his ears back into shape where Aran had ruffled it. Chuckling, the older fox nodded and went off to his and Kita's den to retrieve his gift. Next to the couple remaining by the little meadow, Tooru hummed in amusement and quickly averted his eyes when the black fox shot him a menacing glare.

"Think I'll go look for Iwa-chan. You guys have fun."

Even though he was further into his pregnancy than Suna, he somehow managed to get up as graceful as ever without as much as a single sway, chocolate brown tail swishing behind him. Like summoned by name, Hajime suddenly appeared on the far end of the clearing, dark ears perked and rolling in Tooru's direction vigilantly. Once he was certain that his vixen wasn't on the lookout for him because something was wrong, his shoulders relaxed and he knelt down by his children, who came flocking around him with little chirps and yaps.

Suna groaned softly and leaned back against Osamu, who was unhappily growling deep in his throat when the troubled, acrid note in his mate's scent started to get stronger.

"What's wrong, Rin?"

"I'm feeling sick, and they keep kicking me. I don't know what I'm doing to upset them, but they definitely don't like it," he complained, tears rising into his eyes when Osamu hugged him to his chest from behind in a confused attempt to soothe his vixen, but Suna couldn't help when the first sobs began to spill from his lips. "A-And I want our kits to be born too already! Tooru only has two weeks to go, and he already has children. It's unfair, Samu! I don't want to wait any longer!"

Crying, he turned around as best he could to shove his face into the crook of Osamu's neck. The calming scent of lemon balm did little to smooth over that brokenness he felt inside at the thought of having to last another month until he'd be able to hold his kits, but it was some sort of relief at least, just like the arms that wrapped around him calmingly.

"It's okay, Rin. I promise, we'll have our kits soon enough too," Osamu whispered and gently rocked him in his arms. "Yer just a bit upset right now, that's okay. I get it. But until our children are born, it'll be a while. We still need to prepare lots of stuff for it, remember? We wanted to make the nest a bit bigger, and I'm gonna go huntin' with Iwaizumi soon. Gonna bring home some nice furs for the kits, okay?"

"O-Okay," Suna agreed shakily.

A large shadow began to encroach on them, and then Aran was back by his side. He looked from Suna's tear-stained face to Osamu, who just bared his fangs – a silent _"Don't come any closer"_ directed at Suna's adoptive sire.

"Don't worry, Osamu. I'm not going to do anything to him," the dark fox hummed soothingly and handed something to Suna. "Here. We've been out hunting for a while last week and I shot a beautiful doe. Her coat might be something for your nest, if you want it."

Osamu just snarled.

"I was about to go huntin' next week. I'll bring home enough furs for our nest."

It's thrilling – this possessive streak, the sound of _our nest,_ because it's the first time Suna had heard him call it that. Yes, it was their nest, he thought deliriously as he wrapped his arms around Osamu. Theirs. Just for them, the two of them and their kits. Nobody else was allowed in their nest.

"I want to go back to our nest," he muttered against his mate's neck, mouthing at the little bitemarks left from their passionate nights before. Any other time, he'd feel ashamed, admitting so blatantly that he needed his nest, but the air around them didn't smell like Osamu nearly enough, and he wanted to be enclosed in that scent right now. "Samu, please? Nest?"

Every single time Osamu tried to get up from their nest that day, he was pulled back down. Around late afternoon, Mattsun checked in on them, but he retreated immediately when he found them both wrapped up so tightly that in the rather dim light, not even sharp fox eyes could tell where Suna's body began and Osamu's ended.

It was Atsumu who brought them their share of food in the evening, and he was allowed to sit by the side of the nest for a while to stroke Osamu's hair while Suna tried to sleep off the dull ache of the kits continuously kicking and pressing against his ribs in all the wrong ways.

There was an unfamiliar anticipation lingering around the pack grounds, and when the first scream tore through the silence of an otherwise peaceful night, Osamu sat bolt upright. Suna, drowsy from being roused from his slumber once again, only shifted his head. The next scream made him flinch too, though, and he quickly shuffled his way under Osamu's arm.

"What's going on?" he whispered, still half-asleep.

His mate's ears were twitching restlessly, curving forward and flattening back in quick exchange, like he couldn't decide whether to listen closer or to blend out the sounds. Then, he coiled his arms around Suna and pressed him back into the soft furs of their nest.

"Nothing. Sleep already."

His tone was harsher than intended, and Suna stayed down for a moment in absolute silence, breathing heavily as he glared at Osamu, whose gaze was still glued to the entrance of their den.

He'd recognized the voice of the one who had screamed.

Slowly, his hands slid up and covered Suna's ears to help him fall asleep. Usually, the gentle pressure on his sensitive spots and Osamu's presence were enough to lull the vixen to sleep in seconds, but tonight, he stayed awake restlessly, shifting every now and then, dislodging the warm hands on his ears bit by bit until he could hear clearer.

There was Kita's voice, and Makki's and Iwaizumi's, and all of them seemed to be crying, all of them sounded so choked up and broken and frail, and there were still those awful screams of pure anguish that made Suna pull up his shoulders and roll himself up into an even tinier ball. He wrapped both arms around his middle, silently shushing his kits.

_Mama's here, Mama is here with you, and Papa is too. We're here. We're making sure nothing happens to you._

One of them moved, a fluttering sensation this time, no sharp pain from a kick, and Suna's breathing picked up again as he gently stroked his stomach. Osamu pressed against his back and hugged him tightly.

* * *

Suna shivered when they reached the fireplace the next day. This time, it had been Osamu who'd insisted they sleep in, but now he regretted it. Everything was quiet, deadly quiet around the dens. Mothers shushed their children when they even began to raise their voices, the fire had been put out. Usually, it would be burning at this time of day.

Every fox in sight was seemingly determined to vanish again as soon as possible, and Suna swayed his tail questioningly when he saw that Kita and Aran hadn't left their den either today. The air smelled bittersweet.

"Samu?"

He turned to look at his mate with helpless eyes, but Osamu just avoided his gaze and nodded back towards their den at the other end of the grounds.

"I'll call Tsumu. Stay with him today. Just don't leave the nest. Tell him I'm gonna kick his sorry ass if he doesn't take care of ya."

He was gone with a last kiss to Suna's forehead, silver fur disappearing into the forest. Atsumu, lured out by his brother's absence, popped up in the entrance of the den he now usually slept in alone. He waved at Suna and motioned him to go back to his nest, following suit shortly after when Suna had already settled for a day of resting up. At least Osamu's scent was still heavily present, so he felt relatively calm.

"What's going on today? Why's everyone being so quiet?" he asked at last, not even realizing that his voice had dropped to a hushed whisper as well.

Atsumu, who was curled up near the entrance, just shook his head.

"Tooru."

That was all he said, and Suna felt his veins freezing over with panic. The hand that he kept resting on the slight curve of his stomach cramped uncomfortably. Tooru, Tooru and his kits. It had been Tooru who'd screamed last night. Of course, why hadn't he realized sooner?

"Where is he?" he whimpered in horror, already bolting to get out of the den. "Where is he? Where did they take him?"

"He's in his nest, damn it!" Atsumu hissed and pulled him back down with him. "Stay here, are ya nuts? Leave him alone, he doesn't need anyone around right now!"

Shell-shocked by the sudden harsh treatment, Suna curled up in a corner of the nest, but Atsumu was unrelenting, not even sparing a glance at his brother's mate. The stretch of the day was long, but Suna's one and only thoughts were his kits anyway, and it kept him busy overthinking. Could never be boring with the frightening concern for his unborn children looming over him like a dark cloud.

By the time Osamu returned, with dirt covering his clothes and his body glistening like he'd just been down by the river, Suna was a shivering mess, crying out sharply at the sight of his mate.

"Rin!"

Osamu bolted forward and his arms were so secure, they were safe and warm and welcoming and loving, and Suna sobbed the moment his face was pressed against the warm, tanned skin that smelled so much like lemon balm and smoke and home and mate.

"Samu!" he whimpered. "They… th-they haven't moved at all today!"

"What?" Panicking, the silver fox pulled back and stared at him in horror. "No, no, that can't be! Yer just too nervous to notice it, I bet they're okay, they're fine, Rin, I swear! They _have_ to be!"

But what if they weren't? Suna squeezed his eyes shut tightly and tried to breathe deeply, get as much as possible of Osamu's comforting scent into his system. His kits – their kits – they had to be alright. He couldn't lose them. Not his first litter. Not he too. Now that he was finally pregnant with his mate's kits, he wouldn't allow them to not be okay. Not when Osamu looked so scared too, so worried.

"Tsumu, get out of here," he hissed at his twin at last, who didn't even take it personally this time and just slipped out of the den with a brief nod.

Left to the solitude of their nest, Osamu gently held Suna down into the warm furs and curled up on top of him protectively, lips ever so slightly grazing the vixen's tummy. The sensation was familiar and comforting, a lovely ritual between the two of them, and Suna's hand gripped the silver strands of hair tightly that were tickling his bare skin.

The affectionate cuddles were answered by a sharp kick to the vixen's ribs and he gasped when his lungs ached for a brief moment.

"See, I told ya they'd be alright," Osamu whispered and breathed another butterfly kiss onto Suna's stomach, but his voice was trembling with uncried tears too. "Hi there, lil' rascals. Yer scaring Mama and Papa before yer even born. If that's how it's gonna be…"

Suna sighed with relief when he felt the kits moving in response to their father's gentle attention. He'd been so afraid. Now that they had finally been calm for once, he'd only wished they'd act up again. Osamu rested his head on his chest, still caressing the curve of his belly.

That night, neither of them really slept, just eager to feel their children's every little move. At some point, their hands joined together on top of Suna's stomach, and when Osamu finally drifted off in the early hours of morning, the vixen remained awake, soothed by his mate's steady breathing and the fluttering movements underneath his palms.

* * *

Tooru didn't leave his nest for the next weeks, always holed up in his den. Hajime didn't let anyone even near him. Osamu went to pick his friend up for their planned hunting trip, but Hajime refused to leave his vixen alone for a single day, even though the entire pack offered to take care of Tooru – who in return didn't allow anyone into his and Hajime's shared den other than his mate and his children.

A blood moon, the foxes whispered among themselves when they were preparing food or sitting around the fire at night to drink some of the sweet summer wine that was left from the solstice. The kits had been conceived during a blood moon. It was no wonder that Tooru had lost them. Suna refused to participate in that kind of gossip, he just silently listened when the others talked about it.

Once Tooru finally started to leave his nest again, it was Suna he avoided most, but nobody would look at him weird for that. When Suna got up in the morning, Tooru disappeared into the forest with Hajime or went off to play with his kits, and he only returned once the coast was clear and the black vixen had gone to take his afternoon nap. 

It had to be so painful for him, to see Suna and Osamu, to watch the younger vixen's stomach grow with every passing week and be so painfully reminded of what he could've had. Suna started to feel bad for being around. He hid himself away when he saw Tooru near the pack grounds, not wanting to interfere with his friend's daily life more than he already was.

Even though Osamu fussed over him always disappearing somewhere all alone, Suna quietly slinked away that afternoon when he saw Tooru returning from his bath in the river, still glistening all over like a goddess of the forest. Suna wandered through the forest with slow, deliberate steps. He was cautious not to trip, even though he knew the little path by heart. The vixens sometimes used it to get to the little clearing with the strawberry patches.

He sat in the cool grass for a while, picking strawberries and sucking the juice from his fingers, staring up at the dense, bright green foliage above. Some of the leaves were turning yellow at the tips. Autumn wasn't far now, and even Kita, who knew the weather and seasons best, had just frowned when they'd asked him about cold it would be this year.

Hopefully, it would be a warm autumn.

He'd could take his kits out into the forest with him, let them see all the colorful trees. Last year had brought a rainy fall season, and he remembered how miserable they'd all been the entire time – soaking wet as soon as they stepped out their dens, with mud-smeared fur and aching ears. That was not the kind of weather Suna wanted to have his first litter in.

An approving jolt of pain went through his swollen abdomen, as if the kits had understood his thoughts and were agreeing. He smiled and reached down to rest his hand on the curve of his belly. The slight touch that usually soothed the lot of them suddenly earned him another sharp pain, and he clenched his jaw for a moment to let the wave of agony pass.

It didn't.

Not for long, at least, because no sooner had Suna opened his eyes again, panting, a new contraction gripped his lower body and forced him down onto his side on the warm grass. His fingertips clawed at it, trying to hold onto something that would make the strain of his body ease just a little. Suna whimpered. He wanted to cry out, to call for Osamu, to scream for his mate and for Kita and Aran, but something devilish sewed his mouth shut, allowing no sounds to escape except for a few stray whines here and there.

Keep quiet. He had to keep quiet. If someone other than his pack heard that he was having his kits—

He shook his head feverishly and tried to lean up. Killing a vixen in childbirth was an easy way to weaken an entire pack. He couldn't allow himself to be loud. Not with the river and the rivaling pack of forest cats on the other side so close by. 

"Samu," he whispered anyway, over and over, taking comfort in the way the word rolled off his tongue like it had so often as the pain shattered into pleasure halfway through the next contraction. "Samu, Samu, our kits."

A twig snapped; a hedge moved in his field of vision. Suna cramped up anxiously. From the direction of the small path came Tooru, seemingly lost in thought as he sauntered along, tail wagging and ears rolled back in a relaxed manner – until he caught sight of the vixen lying on the ground, already breathless and flushed from labor.

"Oh no," Tooru choked out and Suna curled up even more, not even wanting to look at his friend, half expecting him to turn around and run.

Then, warm hands stroked his face and he felt the other fox kneeling close beside him in the grass.

"Okay, okay. Is this comfortable? Rin, have you started pushing already?"

He was trembling, but so was Suna, and the combined nervousness produced a momentary calm that allowed the younger vixen to shake his head weakly. Tooru moved to take his head into his lap and began to scratch his ears.

"Good. Look here, just move however it feels best. The kits are going to come all on their own, and it won't hurt a bit. Promised. I'm here now, I'm protecting you. Iwa-chan knows where I went, so if I'm not back soon, he'll come too, and he's going to keep watch here, alright? You don't have a thing to worry about."

His voice was soothing and pleasant and Suna had no choice but to surrender to the sweet whispers from above him as another wave of pleasure gripped him and he allowed a quiet moan to escape from his mouth. There was a deep, hot pressure somewhere inside his body, and he felt the kits shifting inside him, readying themselves to be born.

"Tooru!" he cried out shakily and clawed the vixen's arm. "Tooru, where's Samu?"

Panicked, Tooru stared back at him, like he'd completely forgotten there was someone who needed to know about Suna's oncoming labor as soon as possible.

"I… Rin, I really don't… I can't leave you here alone! You could be in danger!" He was getting increasingly distressed, his ears flattened back against his head. "Hajime! Hajime, where are you?"

This time, he yelled at the top of his lungs, and it didn't take a single minute for his mate to come bursting out of the thicket with a violent growl, teeth bared and knife unsheathed, ready to protect his mate. When his gaze fell upon Suna, he immediately straightened up.

"Oh shit."

"Yeah, my reaction exactly," Tooru answered, distraught. "Here, take care of him while I'm gone! I have to look for Osamu!"

Hajime nodded and quickly took his boyfriend's place by Suna's side. His touch was even more comforting – strong and firm and protective as he wiped the sweat from the young vixen's face and stroked his cheek with a warm smile.

"You're doing great, Suna. Osamu will be with you in just a moment. Meanwhile, I'm here, 'kay? We'll get those kits safe and sound so their mama can finally hold them."

Yes.

Everything inside Suna was echoing a delirious Yes as he shifted more, opening his legs and whining softly when another contraction hit him like an oncoming train, knocking all air from his lungs with how good it felt. He hadn't even finished closing his eyes to recover when Osamu was already slithering to a halt beside him and nearly curled up right on top of his mate.

"Rin, Rin, I'm here now!" he panted, still tense from his sprint. "I'm here, ya don't have to worry!"

With his boyfriend cowering right by his side, clutching his hand and covering him with kisses and grooming his ears, Suna cried out with relief. Hajime stood up and began to scent the nearby trees, clawing at the bark to signal everyone to stay away from the little clearing, that it was under his protection now.

"Shouldn't we bring him back to the dens?" Osamu asked impatiently.

"That depends on Suna," the other fox replied without even looking back at him. "If he thinks he can move before the first kit is here, then maybe. But it would be best to just let him give birth here now. Your children want out, and they want out as soon as possible. It wouldn't do any good to have to stop midway."

Osamu nodded, stroking Suna's face and ears all the while soothingly. "Okay. Okay, alright. Rin, babe, I'm here. Let's see those kits of ours, what do ya say?"

The vixen nodded sluggishly, overtaken by the pleasure of the contractions that had taken hold of him. From somewhere in the forest, Tooru appeared with Kita, and the blunt side of a blade slid against his skin as they cut his clothes open. With his body resting safely against Osamu's chest and their pack watching over them from the forest nearby, Suna closed his eyes.

* * *

They were gorgeous, all of them. Their hair was almost as white as snow, their ears pink and soft and covered in silver fur, like moonlight on the frozen river in winter. Suna was curled up around them in their nest, tail wrapped protectively around the tangled mess of tiny limbs and soft, sleepy noises. Osamu was holding one of the babies on his arm, gently clutching their oldest vixen's little hand. He was the only one with dark hair, and Osamu was utterly besotted already. 

The kit sniffled and writhed a bit in his father's embrace, missing the warmth of his siblings and mother. Osamu chuckled.

"Alright, alright, no need to get fussy with me, lil' thing," he cooed and placed the little vixen down by Suna's chest, who immediately reached out to pull him into the heap of kits as well. The baby lashed his tiny tail and followed the scent of milk up to his mother's chest, drinking greedily. Suna purred down at him with content exhaustion, proud and tired and still aching from the birth.

Five kits, all of them healthy and perfectly fine, were snuggled comfortably into the warm furs of the nest around him.

And by his side, Osamu was now slowly wrapping himself around his mate from behind, nuzzling his hair gently as he muttered his name, over and over until Suna craned his neck and peered at him from the corner of his eye. A rare, genuine smile was flashing from Osamu's lips as he leaned forward and kissed his vixen. The small leather bag he was suddenly holding in his hand smelled like wild strawberries.

"I love ya, Rin. I love our kits. I can't believe we're actually parents at last."

Suna rolled over slightly to wrap one hand around Osamu. Their foreheads touched, and he smiled back softly.

"Yeah. Hey, let's call him Ichigo," he muttered, gently running his fingers through the dark hair of the kit who was now cuddled up right in his arm.

**Author's Note:**

> Since some of you wanted a continuation of this, I decided to finish this and upload it :))) Also, Ichigo means strawberry because I'm a sap like that.
> 
> (Sorry for making Tooru my scapegoat, I promise I really love my boy pls you have to believe me)


End file.
